Cesar.

In his story, César is a goldsmith in a 1970s block in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia. He works gold and silver using time-honored Malay techniques, and his day starts long before anyone else's: kopi-o kosong in the dark, then into the workshop by six, while the street's still silent. He owns three mugs and only ever uses one; the rest are more than he needs. That first coffee, alone, is one of the moments he guards most closely. And even if you don't make jewelry, you probably have your own version of it.

This mug carries César's portrait, facing forward, gold at his neck: yours, for the first coffee of the day. I like to think it keeps you company during that time alone, before everything else starts, whatever your trade happens to be. I created it as part of Animal Kinhood, my series of animals living ordinary lives, made by me, Yago Partal. His full story is on the character's page; here, the mug, the coffee, and the early-morning silence are enough.